Elevator spider



C. S. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER Sept. 22, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27. 1957 Cue/z .5. 505752 gauw Sept. 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27 5 INVENTOR. 6242a 5. 50575e V m mnw Se t. 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER 8 SheetsSheet 3 Filed May 27, 1957 III I I!!! 71/1 rid .Illllllllll villi!!! rill!!! 4 I!!! INVENTOR. 6242/4 5. 5057-52 FZ'G. 5.

P 1964 c. s. BQSTER 3,149,391

ELEVATOR SPIDER Filed May 27, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 FQ'G'.

INVENTOR. fuzz 52 5057252 Sept. 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER 8 Sheets-Sheet- 5 Filed May 27. 1957 INVENTOR. C1. 4274 5. 505752 Sept. 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER 3,149,391

ELEVATOR SPIDER Filed May 27. 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 74 9 Wen/0.

INVENTOR.

(Jazz 5. 5057:?

Sept 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 2?, 1957 Ea. JZ

INVENTOR. 6442.6 6.. 50.5752

Sept. 22, 1964 c. s. BOSTER ELEVATOR SPIDER 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed .May 127. 1957 INVENTOR. 6245a 5. 5057752 United States Patent 3,149,391 ELEVATOR SPIDER Clark S. Buster, East Whittier, Caiif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Byron Jackson Inc, Long Beach, Calii., a corporation of Delaware Fiied May 27, 1957, Ser. No. 661,912 12 Claims. (Cl. 24-263) The present invention relates to well apparatus, and more particularly, to well casing elevators and spiders.

VJell apparatus of the type more commonly referred to as elevators and/or spiders particularly adapted to elevate and support long and heavy strings of well casing, are conventionally equipped with slips or wedging devices for engagement with the pipe or casing. Such slips are generally long so as to avoid crimping or otherwise deforming the pipe or casing. With the advent of deeper wells and attendant increase in the length and weight of the pipe or casing strings, the slips have also increased in size and weight. Such slips are usually mounted for movement into and out of a position in engagement with the pipe or casing, so that as the weight of the slips increases, problems are encountered in slip manipulation.

It is highly desirable that the slips be easily operable, since during the course of running in or pulling a string of well pipe or casing, the elevator and spider slips must be manipulated for engagement with, and disengagement from, each stand of pipe or casing as the joints between the stands are being made up or broken. Moreover, it is necessary as a safety precaution that the slip manipulating or operating mechanism be incapable of accidental operation such as would permit untimely disengagement of the elevator slips: as the pipe or casing is being elevated; as a section or stand of casing is hanging, pending making or breaking of a joint; or when the pipe or casing string is not supported by the elevator. Various automatic slip-setting devices and slip-locking devices have, accordingly, been heretofore provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which may be employed either as a spider for supporting a depending string of well pipe or casing or as an elevator for engagement with the pipe or casing string above the spider. Since the device may be selectively employed either as a spider or as an elevator, a pair of the devices may be employed at a well site, thus enabling substantial standardization of the parts and equipment for raising or lowering and supporting well pipe or casing and the like.

Another object is to provide a device which may interchangeably be employed as a well pipe or casing spider or elevator and which include pipe or casing engaging slips and means for locking the slips in an inoperative position, said means being easily manually operated by a crewman at the rotary table or by a derrickman up in the derrick, depending upon whether the device is employed as a spider or as an elevator.

Ease of operation of the slips is particularly desirable and advantageous when the device is employed as an elevator, since the elevator must be manipulated and op erated by the derrickman who is perched on a platform high in the derrick for applying the elevator to stands of pipe or casing to enable their being lowered into the well as the pipe or casing is made up in a string. Obviously, the derrickmans position is a precarious, one which does not permit of awkwardnes or hesitation in the manipulation of an elevator.

A further object, therefore, is to provide a device as aforesaid which may be operated and manipulated so as to be installed on or removed from a pipe or casing, and which includes a unitized slip assembly; that is, an assembly of slip element which are interconnected so 3,149,353 1 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 ice as to be movable as a unit, slip operating means for elevating the slips to an inoperative position, means for automatically locking the slips in the elevated position, and means for quickly and easily releasing the locking means, said slips being so mounted that they automatically assume a pipe or casing gripping position upon release of the locking means.

Spiders of the type employed in handling well pipe or casing ordinarily are provided with a base plate of a comparatively large area for engagement with the rotary table so as to bridge the opening therethrough. Such a base plate enables the spider to move about on the rotary table as the pipe or casing shifts laterally during elevation or lowering thereof through the spider. Elevators of the type employed in handling the pipe or casing, as contrasted with spiders, ordinarily would not be provided with such a base plate. Elevators, are, however, provided wtih eyes or books for engagement in the ends of elevator links which are adapted to suspend the elevator from the usual travelling block and hook.

Accordingly, still another object is to provide a pipe or casing gripping device having a housing provided with elevator-link engaging eyes thereon for use whenthedevice is employed as an elevator, said device also having means for complemental engagement with an adapter plate which facilitates and enhances the use of the device as a spider.

A further object is to provide novel means for raising and retaining the slips of an elevator or spider device in a raised or inoperative position. Such raising means comprises, in accordance with the present invention, a lever pivotally mounted on the housing and having a yoked end adapted to be pivotally connected to the slips for raising the slips upon pivotal movement of the lever in one direction about its mounting. The retaining means aforesaid comprises a keeper bodyhaving an opening, a pin carried by the slip raising lever and projecting into the keeper opening, and means for locking the pinin a position where the slips will be maintained in an elevated position, said means including a pin-engaging latch, and means for operating the latch, said latch being arranged so as to automatically engage the pin when the slips are raised to an inoperative position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structure in accordance with the preceding objective, wherein the latch has a cam surface engageable with the latch pin for wedging the pin between the latch and an opposing wall of the keeper opening, so that when the elevator slips are set and casingis 'being lowered in a well, the slips cannot be inadvertently released responsive to the casing hanging up momentarily. Otherwise, if the casing should hang up in the hole the device, when used as an elevator, might tend to continue downward travel due to the mass of the body, such movement of the elevator thereby tending to unset the slips. Accordingly, from a broad standpoint the invention contemplates combined means for releasably retaining the slip assembly in a pipe engaging position, as well as in an elevated non-pipe-engaging position.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter described or will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the novel features of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

The invention will be best understood upon reference to the illustrative embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a device made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the device of FIG. 1, but showing in broken lines an upper guard and a lower adapter plate, whereby the device is particularly adapted for use as a spider;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in top plan with certain of the parts broken away to more clearly disclose the slip-elevating means;

FIG. 4 is a view in Vertical section as taken upon the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation showing the cover plate for the slip operating and locking mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 66 of FIG. 3 with the slips shown in a casing or pipe engaging position;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the cover removed to disclose the slip operating and latching mechanism;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the slip latching mechanism with the latch element disposed for automatic engagement with the pin upon elevation of the slips;

FIG. 9 is a view in section as taken on the line 9--9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detail view corresponding to FIG. 8, but showing the latch in latching engagement with the pin for holding the slips in an elevated inoperative position;

FIG. 11 is a view in section as taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an exploded detail view showing the slip latching mechanism elements in perspective;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of an adapter plate for use in conjunction with the device hereof when employed as a spider;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of an upper guard member for use with the device when employed as a spider; and

FIG. 15 is a view in section as taken on the line 1515 of FIG. 14.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device hereof comprises a generally circular housing 1 having agenerally U-shaped hollow body 2 provided with a front door 3. The door is pivotally mounted on a hinge pin 4 which extends through complementally inter-engaged hinge ears 5 and 6, respectively, on the door and on the contiguous portion of the body 2. The door 3 is adapted to be retained in a closed position by a pin 7 which extends through co-engaging lugs 8 and 9, respectively, on the door and on the contiguous portion of the body 2. Preferably the pin 7 is provided with a bail-like handle 19 to facilitate its removal.

The body 2 has a central tapered axial opening converging from the top to the bottom of the body, this opening being generally designated at 11. The inner periphery of the body 2 defining the opening 11 is undercut at a series of axially spaced points so as to provide circumferentially extended grooves or channels 12 interrupting the inclined wall of the opening. Thus, a series of circumferentially extended, angularly disposed, cam faces 13, as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, are provided for cooperative engagement with the complemental cam faces 14 of a unitized slip assembly generally designated 15.

The unitized slip assembly 15 is composed of a central slip element 16, having a pair of slip elements 17, 17 hingedly connected thereto, as by means of pivot pins 18 for swinging movement about a vertical axis, the slip elements 17 accordingly constituting wings on the center slip 16. The slips 16 and 17 are generally rectangular in configuration, being transversely arched so as to form an annulus when the slip wings are pivoted about the pins 18 to the position shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. Each of the side slips 17 is provided with a tongue-like member 19 projecting therefrom at its free side so that these tongues 19 overlap when the side slips are in abutting engagement with one another, thus enhancing the rigidity of the unitized slip assembly.

A plurality of easing or pipe engaging slip dies 21) are preferably replaceably carried in the arcuate faces of the slip elements 16 and 17, these dies 20 having horizontally extended serrations or teeth 21 for effective gripping engagement with a casing or pipe. The dies 20 are preferably disposed in cavities in the arcuate faces of the slips 16 and 17 and retained therein by a plate 22 secured to the top of each slip as by means of a screw 23 or the like.

As is best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, the slips 16 and 17 are each preferably provided with a series of vertically spaced cam rings 24 adapted for complemental engagement in the annular channels 12 of the body 2. The faces 14 previously referred to constitute the outer peripheral camming edge of the projections 24 and are engageable with the inclined surfaces 13 of the body 2 so that upon downward movement of the unitized slip assembly 15, the co-engaged faces 13 and 14 will cam the side slips 17 about the pivot pins 18 into gripping engagement with a casing or pipe extending through the assembly. However, when the unitized slip assembly 15 is elevated, the projections 24 will nest within the annular depressions 12 in the body 2, thus enabling the slip assembly to open relatively wide responsive to a relatively slight upward movement thereof.

In order to swing the side slips 17 about the pivots 18 when the slip assembly is elevated, a torsion spring 25 is preferably disposed about the respective pins 18, between a pair of lugs 26 on each of the side slips 17 (see FIG. 4), this torsion spring 25 being adapted to bias the side slips 17 away from the center slip 16 so that the slip assembly opens as it is being elevated.

Means are provided for elevating the slips as aforesaid. Such means preferably comprises a crank lever in the form of a yoke 27, said yoke having a pair of arms 28 which are respectively mounted on pivot pins 29 carried by the body 2 and projecting through clearance spaces or slots 30 in the body 2, with the yoke arms 28 projecting through the slots 36 for pivotal connection with the unitized slip assembly 15. It will be noted that at the rear, the body 2 is recessed as at 31 to accommodate the yoke 27 and permit its pivotal movement about the pivot pins 29. The free ends of the yoke arms 28- are disposed in complemental slots 32 formed in laterally projecting supporting lugs or ears 33 of the center slip 16. A bolt 34 or other pivot element extends through the respective ears or lugs 33 and through a longitudinally extended slot 35 formed in the respective free ends of the yoke arms 28, so as to provide an effective lost-motion connection between the yoke arms 23 and the center slip 16. At the rear of the yoke 27, the yoke is provided with a socket 36 adapted to receive a yoke-operating bar or arm 37, whereby the yoke 27 may be easily rocked about the pivots 29 in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 4 so as to elevate the slips.

Despite the fact that the device hereof may be so constructed as to enable its use in handling relatively long and heavy strings of easing or pipe with the result that the slips will be of substantial length and, accordingly, quite heavy, the yoke arrangement and the operating handle therefor are adapted to facilitate elevation of the slips without requiring undue physical effort on the part of a crewman operating the slip assembly. This structure may advantageously be employed in a device, in accordance with the invention, which is of such a size as to have a rated capacity of five hundred tons with a safety factor on the order of 4:1. In such a structure, the slip assembly may weigh approximately six hundred pounds. Therefore, ease of manipulation is a material consideration.

In order to facilitate operation of the yoke 27 and reduce the manual effort required to elevate the slip assembly 15, counterbalancing spring assemblies may be provided for partially counterbalancing the weight of the slips. In this connection, the body 2 is provided with a pair of cavities 38 respectively underlying the yoke arms 28 on the lever side of the pivots 29. Mounted upon a pivot pin 39 in each of the cavities 38 is a counterbalancing spring assembly 40. Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the assembly 40 comprises a housing or cage 41 having a closure 42 welded or otherwise suitably secured in its up per end. A rod 43 is pivotally connected to the overlying yoke arm 28 as at 44 and extends through an opening in the closure 42 into the housing 41. Adjustably mounted upon the rod 43 is a spring seat 45 having a pair of diametrically opposed projections 46 which project radially through longitudinally spaced guide slots 47 in the opposed side walls of the housing 41. A coiled compression spring 48 is interposed in the housing 41 between the closure 42 and the seat 45 so that the spring 48 tends to urge the yoke 27 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pins 29. By virtue of the seat 45 being adjustable on the rod 43, the efiective pressure of the spring may be varied so that the counterbalancing effect upon the slips may be correspondingly varied. Preferably, however, the springs are controlled so that upon release of the yoke 27, the slip assembly will gravitate to a seated position positively and quickly.

In accordance with a salient feature of the invention, means are provided for retaining the slips in an elevated position. Such means are shown in particular detail in FIGS. 7 through 12, and are generally designated at 49. This retaining means includes a keeper housing 56 which is suitably secured, as by means of screws 51 or the like, to the body 2 in an appropriate recess at the rear of the housing body 2. The keeper housing 56 has a vertically extended bore 52 in which is reciprocably disposed a pin 53, this pin 53 being longitudinally extended and provided with a yoked free end 54 adapted to be pivotally connected to a depending ear 55, as best seen in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, on the underside of the yoke 27. The ear 55 has a longitudinally extended slot 56 for enabling pivotal movement of the yoke 27 to impart axial reciprocation to the pin 53 without exerting any lateral stress thereon. The pin 53 is generally circular in cross-section, but is provided on one side with a longitudinally extended fiat surface 57 so that the pin is freely slideable in the bore 52.

The keeper housing 56 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting, spaced supporting ears or lugs 58 between which are pivotally mounted a latch member 59 and a latch operating member 69. These members 59 and 6%) are mounted upon a common pivot pin 61, which is preferably secured in place, extending between the ears 58, as by means of a pair of snap rings 62. The latch member 59 is best seen in detail in FIG. 12, and includes an outstanding latch dog 63'which is adapted for engagement in a notch or slot 64 in the fiat face 57 aforesaid of the pin 53. Projecting from one side of the latch member in angularly spaced relation to the dog 63, is a latch unlocking lug 65, and in spaced relation thereto, a latch locking lug 66, there being a gap or space 67 therebetween. The latch operating member 60 is provided with a portion of relatively thin cross-section as at 60:: disposed in parallel, side-by-side relation to the latch element 59and pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 61. On the inner face of the member 6ii'is an operating lug 68 which projects into the space 67 between the latch locking'and unlocking lugs 65 and 66 of latch member 59, so that upon relative pivotal movement of the latch 59 and the operating member 60, the operating lug 68 will automatically engage with either the lug 65 or the lug 66. A tension spring 69 is operatively interconnected with the operating member 60, as at 70, and with the latch element 59, as at 71, so as to normally urge the latch member 59 in a clockwise'direction, as viewed in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10, for movement of the locking dog 63 into the slot or recess 64 in the pin 53.

The operating member 69 has a depending lever arm 72 to which is'pivotally connected an operating spring assembly 73. This assembly 73 includes a pair of relatively telescopically engaged members 74 and 75. The member 74 is provided with a forked end 76 adapted to be pivotally connected to the operating arm 72 as by means of a pivot pin 77 which is retained in place as by means of a pair of snap rings 78. The telescopic part 75 has a forked end 79 adapted to be pivotally connected to a laterally projecting ear 3% on the housing 50 by a pivot pin 81 retained in place as by means of a pair of snap rings 82. It should be noted that when the axes of pivot pins 61, 77, and 81 are disposed on a common plane; that is, when these pins are on dead center, the spring 69 will retain the locking dog 63 biased into engagement with the flat face 57 of the pin 53, but the operating lug 68' will be disposed at a point intermediate the unlocking and locking lugs 65 and 66 of the latch element 59. Movement of the operating member 66 in a clockwise direction will move the spring assembly 73 about the pivot pins 77 and 81 to a position where the line of thrust on the member 69 from the spring assembly 73 is at one side of the pivot pin 61. Thus, the effect of the spring assembly 73 upon clockwise movement of the member 69 from such'dead center position, is to bias the operating lug 68 on the member 68 into engagement with the locking lug 66 on the latch 59, as is shown in both FIG. 8 and FIG. 10. Accordingly, when the slip assembly 15 is elevated by the yoke 27 and the pin 53 is moved downwardly in the bore 52, the latch dog 63 will automatically move into the recess or socket 64 so as to retain the pin locked with respect to the housing 5%) against upward movement.

Therefore, during use of the device as a spider, the latch assembly will ordinarily be set as shown in FIG. 8, so that upon elevation of the slips, they will be automatically locked in an elevated position. Upon pivotal movement of the operating member 69 in a counterclockwise direction, so that the spring assembly 73 is shifted about pivot pins 77 and 81 to the other side of the aforementioned dead center position, the spring assembly 73 will exert a force tending to bias the operating member 6'1 in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 7, with the operating lug 68 engaged with the latch unlocking lug 65 of the locking member 59. The spring assembly may be so constructed as to exert sufiicient force on the latch operating member 64 as to automatically unlatch the pin 53 or, if preferred, such unlatching may necessitate further manual movement of the operating member 60. Such manual movement of the member 60 is enabled by the provision of an outstanding operating arm 83 as shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 12.

During use of the device hereof as an elevator, the latch mechanism preferably will be set in the condition shown in FIG. 7 when a casing string is gripped in the slip assembly and is being lowered into a well. It will be noted that the latch member 59 has an arcuate eccentric surface 57' which opposes the flat face 57 of the pin 57. With the latch operating member 60 disposed in the position shown in FIG. 7, i.e., with the spring assembly 73 urging the member 60 in a counterclockwise direction, the cam surface 57' will be retained in contact with the flat face 57 of pin 53. Thus, as a string of casing or other pipe is being lowered, if an obstruction of some kind should temporarily or momentarily hinder downward movement of the casing or other pipe, the cam surface 57 will tend to bind or wedge the pin 53 against the wall of the keeper opening 52, thus preventing downward movement of the pin 53 and resultant unsetting of the slips of the slip assembly 15.

In order to assure ease of operation of the pin 53 in the bore 52, the housing 50 is preferably provided with a grease fitting 84 for enabling the injection of grease into the bore 52.

Preferably, a closure plate 85 is mounted upon the rear of the body 2 as by means of a suitable number of screw fasteners 86 so as to close the rear of the housing. The plate 85 is provided with a vertically extended elongate slot 87 through which the operating arm 37 projects, an elongated arcuate slot 88 through which the operating handle 83 of the member 60 projects, and a circular opening 89 for enabling the insertion of a grease gun into engagement with the fitting 84 just described.

In order to facilitate stripping of the device upon a r casing or pipe, a generally arcuate downwardly projecting guide flange 96 is provided at the base of the body 2, this guide flange 99 having a beveled guide surface 91 for centering the device about a casing as it is being stripped thereon. In addition, mounted upon the flange 90 in a cavity 92 interiorly of the body 2 is an arcuate guide plate 93 providing a beveled surface 94 and a generally circular surface 95 for centering engagement with the casing or pipe. In addition, it will be noted that the guide member or plate 93 and the guide flange 90 have coengaged axial walls for concentrically supporting the guide member 93 with respect to the flange. In a manner which is believed to be obvious, the guide member 93 may be so constructed, if desired, as to extend about the external axial wall of the guide flange 90, as best seen in FIG. 6, so as to provide an external continuation of the tapered pipe engaging surface 91 of the flange 90 without departing from the contemplated variations of the structure herein specifically shown and described.

In accordance with another salient feature of the invention, the device thus far described is adapted for use either as an elevator or as a spider. Accordingly, to enable its use as an elevator, it is provided with a pair of opposed laterally projecting eyes 97 having closure arms 93 which are pivotally connected as at 99 and retained in position as by means of a pin 1%. These eyes are adapted to receive the lower ends of conventional elevator links (not shown). In order to adapt the device for use as a spider, a generally circular adapter plate 101 is provided (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 13). The plate 101 is provided with a radially extended slot 192 of such a width as to freely fit with the guide flange 90 at the base of the body 2. In addition, the plate 101 is of a thickness generally approaching, but preferably somewhat greater than, the downward extent of the flange 96 so that the device may be freely supported for universal movement upon the upper surface of a rotary table. This will enable the device to move with the casing or pipe out of axial alignment with the master bushing opening through the table as the casing or pipe is being run into the well and whips about.

An upper guard 103 (see FIGS. 2, 14 and 15) is constituted by a generally horseshoe-shaped element secured to the upper surface of the body 2, as by means of a series of screw fasteners 194 or the like, and opening in aligiment with the front door 3 of the device as previously referred to. The guard 103 is adapted to overlie the slip assembly 15 when the latter is elevated, so that a casing or pipe section being lowered into the spider will not inadvertently contact the slips and cause damage thereto. In order to guide the casing or pipe as it is being so lowered, the upper surface of the guard 103 preferably has a pair of arcuate guide plates 105 secured thereto with the opposed ends of the arcuate plates in engagement with one another, thus defining an annulus. It will be noted that this annulus bridges the opening between the ends of the upper guard 193 and, accordingly, the guide plates 195 are preferably made sufiiciently sturdy as to withstand shocks imparted thereto upon contact with a casing or pipe section being lowered, since there is no underlying support for this bridging section of the annulus.

It will now be apparent that an improved device has been provided which may effectively operate as either a casing elevator or a casing spider which may be easily stripped on and oif of casing sections and which facilitates slip operation and control, even in a device of substantial mass such as would have a rated capacity of five hundred tons or more.

While the specific details have been herein shown and described, changes and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A well pipe supporting device comprising: a body having a central opening; a slip assembly disposed in said opening for engagement with a pipe extending therethrough; means for shifting said slip assembly axially of said opening to an inoperative position disengaged from the pipe including a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said body; means pivotally connecting said lever at one end to said slip assembly for raising said slips upon downward movement of the other end of said lever; means for biasing the latter end of the lever downwardly including a rod connected to said other end of said lever, a spring seat on said rod and a spring disposed about said rod and engaged with said seat, said body having a cavity therein, a member pivotally mounted in said cavity, and a second spring seat on said member engaged with said spring between the first mentioned seat and said lever.

2. A well pipe supporting device comprising: a body having a central opening; a slip assembly disposed in said opening for engagement with a pipe extending therethrough; means for shifting said slip assembly to an inoperative position, and means for releasably latching said slip assembly in an inoperative position, said last-mentioned means including means for releasably retaining said slips in an operative pipe-engaging position, said releasable latching means including a member having an opening therein, a latch pin shiftably disposed in said opening for movement in opposite directions upon movement of said slip assembly into and out of a slip engaging position and a pivotal latch element engageable with said pin, said latch element having a pair of spaced pin engaging portions engageable with said pin upon pivotal movement of said latch element in opposite directions for respectively preventing movement of said latch pin in opposite directions.

3. A well pipe supporting device comprising: a body having a central opening; a slip assembly disposed in said opening for engagement with a pipe extending therethrough; means for shifting said slip assembly to an inoperative position, and means for releasably latching said slip assembly in an inoperative position, said last-mentioned means including means for releasably retaining said slips in an operative pipe-engaging position, said releasable latching means including a member having an opening therein, a latch pin shiftably disposed in said opening for movement in opposite directions upon movement of said slip assembly into and out of a slip engaging position and a pivotal latch element engageable with said pin, said latch element having a pair of spaced pin engaging portions engageable with said pin upon pivotal movement of said latch element in opposite directions for respectively preventing movement of said latch pin in opposite directions, one of said spaced pin engaging portions being constituted by a cam surface engageable with said pin to Wedge the latter in said pin opening.

4. A well pipe spider-elevator comprising: a body having means thereon for releasably engaging elevator links; said body also having a central opening therethrough; a slip assembly disposed for vertical movement in said openmg and including slip elements movable towards and away from the axis of the opening; means on the slip elements and the body for camming said slip elements towards said axis upon downward movement of said slip assembly; means for elevating said slips; said slip elevatmg means including a lever pivotally mounted on said body and connected to said slip assembly; means engagetral opening therethrough, vertically movable pipe-engaging slips engageable with said body in said opening so as to be wedged into engagement with a pipe extending through said opening, means for elevating said slips out of engagement with said pipe including a lever pivotally mounted on said body, and means for retaining said slips in an elevated position, said retaining means including a pin, means connecting said pin to said lever for reciprocation of said pin responsive to pivotal movement of said lever, and latch means carried by said body and including a keeper having a bore in which said pin is reciprocable and a latch element engageable with said pin for holding the pin in a position in said keeper bore where the slips are elevated, means for locking said latch element in engagement with said pin, and coengageable means on said latch element and said locking means for shifting said latch element upon operation of said locking means.

6. In a well pipe spider-elevator device having a body having means thereon for releasably engaging elevator links, said body also having a downwardly tapering central opening erethrough, vertically movable pipe-engaging slips engageable with said body in said opening so as to be wedged into engagement with a pipe extending through said opening, means for elevating said slips out of engagement with said pipe including a lever pivotally mounted on said body, and means for retaining said slips in an elevated position, said retaining means including a pin, means connecting said pin to said lever for reciprocation of said pin responsive to pivotal movement of said lever, and latch means carried by said body and including a keeper having a bore in which said pin is reciprocable and a latch element pivotally mounted for movement into engagement with said pin for holding the pin in a position in said keeper bore where the slips are elevated, and means engaged with said latch element normally biasing said latch element into engagement with said pin.

7. In a well pipe spider-elevator device having a body having means thereon for releasably engaging elevator links, said body also having a downwardly tapering central opening therethrough, vertically movable pipe-engaging slips engageable with said body in said opening so as to be wedged into engagement with a pipe extending through said opening, means for elevating said slips out of engagement with said pipe including a lever pivotally mounted on said body, and means for retaining said slips in an elevated position, said retaining means including a pin, means connecting said pin to said lever for reciprocation of said pin responsive to pivotal movement of said lever, and latch means carried by said body and including a keeper having a bore in which said pin is reciprocable and a latch element engageable with said pin for holding the pin in a position in said keeper bore where the slips are elevated, a pivot member supporting said latch element for pivotal movement into and out of engagement with said pin, and operating means for said latch element including an operating element also pivotally mounted on said pivot member.

8. A well pipe supporting device as defined in claim 7 wherein one of said elements is provided with a pair of spaced lugs, the other of said elements having an operating lug disposed between and engageable with said spaced lugs for shifting the latch element towards and away from said pin upon pivotal movement of said operating element.

9. A well pipe supporting device as defined in claim 7 wherein one of said elements is provided with a pair of spaced lugs, the other of said elements having an operating lug disposed between and engageable with said spaced lugs for shifting the latch element towards and away from said pin upon pivotal movement of said operating element, and means biasing said latch element about said pivot member for normally maintaining said latch element in a latching position.

10. A Well pipe supporting device as defined in claim 7 wherein one of said elements is provided with a pair of spaced lugs, the other of said elements having an operating lug disposed between and engageable with said spaced lugs for shifting the latch element towards and away from said pin upon pivotal movement of said operating element, and resilient means biasing said latch element about said pivot member for normally maintaining said latch element in a latching position and in an unlatched position.

11. A well pipe supporting device as defined in claim 7 wherein one of said elements is provided with a pair of spaced lugs, the other of said elements having an operating lug disposed between and engageable with said spaced lugs for shifting the latch element towards and away from said pin upon pivotal movement of said operating element, and means biasing said latch element about said pivot member for normally maintaining said latch element in a latching position, said biasing means including an expansible spring assembly pivotally connected at one end to said operating element, means pivotally supporting the other end of said spring assembly, and means for moving the pivotal connection of the spring assembly with the operating element to the respective opposite sides of dead center position with respect to the other pivotal support for said other end of said spring assembly and the pivotal mounting of said operating element.

12. In a well pipe spider-elevator device having a body having means thereon for releasably engaging elevator links, said body also having a downwardly tapering central opening therethrough, vertically movable pipe-engaging slips engageable with said body in said opening so as to be wedged into engagement with a pipe extending through said opening, means for elevating said slips out of engagement with said pipe including a lever pivotally mounted on said body, and means for retaining said slips in an elevated position, said retaining means including a pin, means connecting said pin to said lever for reciprocation of said pin responsive to pivotal movement of said lever, and latch means carried by said body and including a keeper having a bore in which said pin is reciprocable and a latch element engageable with said pin for holding the pin in a position in said keeper bore where the slips are elevated, said keeper having a slot leading into said bore and said latch element having a portion adapted to project into said slot into engagement with said pin and means for shifting said latch element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,389 Ferdinand July 22, 1884 1,237,858 Hiniker July 30, 1918 1,341,702 Black June 1, 1920 1,356,458 Moody Oct. 19, 1920 1,552,062 Krell Sept. 1, 1925 1,656,864 Martin Jan. 17, 1928 1,696,702 Watlington Dec. 25, 1928 1,808,265 Smith June 2, 1931 1,883,073 Stone Oct. 18, 1932 2,030,111 Long Feb. 11, 1936 2,133,893 Harvey et a1. Oct. 18, 1938 2,151,208 Hinker Mar. 21, 1939 2,173,079 Moody Sept. 12, 1939 2,245,592 Jones June 17, 1941 2,491,711 Calhoun Dec. 20, 1941 2,591,763 Abegg Apr. 8, 1952 2,623,257 Moon Dec. 30, 1952 2,736,941 Mullinix Mar. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,464 Italy Sept. 24, 1928 

4. A WELL PIPE SPIDER-ELEVATOR COMPRISING: A BODY HAVING MEANS THEREON FOR RELEASABLY ENGAGING ELEVATOR LINKS; SAID BODY ALSO HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH; A SLIP ASSEMBLY DISPOSED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN SAID OPENING AND INCLUDING SLIP ELEMENTS MOVABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE AXIS OF THE OPENING; MEANS ON THE SLIP ELEMENTS AND THE BODY FOR CAMMING SAID SLIP ELEMENTS TOWARDS SAID AXIS UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIP ASSEMBLY; MEANS FOR ELEVATING SAID SLIPS; SAID SLIP ELEVATING MEANS INCLUDING A LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND CONNECTED TO SAID SLIP ASSEMBLY; MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LEVER FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID SLIP ASSEMBLY IN AN ELEVATED POSITION; THE MEANS FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID SLIP ASSEMBLY IN AN ELEVATED POSITION INCLUDING A PIN CARRIED BY SAID LEVER; A LATCH ELEMENT SHIFTABLY CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PIN; AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID LATCH ELEMENT IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PIN. 